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Friday, June 5, 2009

Lois Walker Blalock - 1914 - 2009

Lois Walker Blalock

September 10, 1914 - May 26, 2009

One of my favorite ladies in all the world was Mrs. Lois Blalock. She had such a sweet spirit and shared her life with so many. I met her in 1988 when my daughter, Gail, met her only grandson, Troy, and they began a 3-year courtship that we all enjoyed as it progressed toward a life together. When Troy and Gail got married Lois was the first to take her under her wing and treat her like a granddaughter. I'm glad she had old-fashioned traditions and she shared her life with Gail. Indeed, all of the Blalocks helped me leave my precious daughter in North Carolina without worrying about her when Bob and I moved to Texas. We knew she was in good hands. I'll miss Lois.

CALDWELL - Mrs. Blalock was born September 10, 1914 to Wesley and Maggie Latta Walker in the St. Mary's community of Orange County. She attended St. Mary's school and graduated from Hillsborough High School in 1930. She received a teaching certificate from East Carolina and later at Duke University completed her bachelor's degree. She began her teaching career, which spanned 37 years, at Caldwell school in 1934 and later taught at Grady Brown Middle SChool in Hillsborough. While at Caldwell School Mrs. Blalock was principal for many years while also teaching fifth and sixth grades. She had a great love for children which was evident in her teaching.

She was a life-long member of New Sharon United Methodist Church where she played piano, sang in the choir, taught Sunday school, was a charter member of the United Methodist women and served on many committees. In 1992. she was presented The Book of Golden Deeds award by the Exchange Club of Hillsborough. She was very active in the Caldwell Community including the Caldwell Home Demonstration Club, The Caldwell Community Club and also supported the Caldwell volunteer fire department. She was a member of the Orange County Retired Teachers Association.

Mrs. Blalock was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Lewis Blalock and brother, Warren Walker. She is survived by her son, Charles W. Blalock and wife, Brenda, of Caldwell; grandson, Troy Blalock and wife, Gail, and their girls, Gailey and Shelby of Caldwell; granddaughter, Jamie Blalock Borland and husband, Jeff, and their girls, Paige and Payton of Cedar Grove.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday in New Sharon United Methodist Church. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Visitation will be from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday in Walker's Funeral Home of Hillsborough. Online condolences: Walkersfuneralservice.com.

The family will welcome donations to New Sharon United Methodist Church, 1601 New Sharon Church Road, Hillsborough, NC 27278 or Duke Hospice at Meadowlands, 1001 Corporate Drive, Hillsborough, NC 27278.

Thank you Carol and Evelyn. Yes, Lois was an angel. When I was last there in the fall (after you had returned to Texas, Kay) we all went to a little restaurant for lunch. Everyone knew her and stopped to talk to her! But what was so endearing that one of her students stopped by to say hello. Of course, she remembered him and teased him about some prank he'd pulled. Everyone in that community will miss her.

Homsley Reunion, Seymour, Texas

Shiloh Baptist Church in 1736 ~ Camden County, North Carolina

Original Wooden Building ~ Click on Picture to go to Camden County's Homepage.

HOMESLEY CONNECTIONS

Several of my Richards family cousins have a copy of Carrie Homesley Cunningham's book, "Historical Record of the Holmesley Family." My dad gave me his copy before he died. In Len and Greg's post, "Homsley Stories", a reader tells them how Mrs. Cunningham came to his family farm when he was a boy in Arkansas and talked to his father about genealogy and then came back, delivering her printed book by car to different families that had ordered several copies!

You'll find other gems in this wonderful article on Glenn Gabbard's ancestry which is Homesley ~ the same as mine, and Len's and Greg's.﻿